PRESENTERS

The Artist Summit will present a collection of the most inspiring talent in the industry. From established masters of the craft of makeup artistry to rising stars in the industry.. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and work with the top talent in the business. Additional presenters will be added as the event approached so check back for updates. Scheduled presenters are subject to change based on availability. * Presenters and schedule are subject to change.

Owner AJ Crimson Beauty

AJ Crimson

AJ CRIMSON is the rock-star of the beauty industry! An Entrepreneur, Makeup Artist and Beauty & Lifestyle Expert, as well as, one of the most trusted names and leading authorities in the beauty industry. AJ’s established reputation as an innovative beauty solutionist has made him and his products first choice for artists and celebrities including Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff, Adrienne Bailon of The REAL, Seryah of Fox’s Empire, Christina Milian, Brandy, Raven-Symone, Estelle, Regina King, Angela Bassett, Ameriie, Letoya Luckett, Keyshia Cole, Missy Elliot and more. His products are also used on the television series American Horror Story, Empire, Scandal, Girlfriends Guide to Divorce, The View, VH1’s Hit the Floor, The Real, and the box office smash TheHunger Games and in countless runway shows.

AJ’s strong commitment to excellence and willingness to learn has been key instruments in paving the way for his success. Self-taught as a makeup artist, AJ fell in love with giving women the tools and permission to fall in love with themselves again by helping them find their true beauty both outwardly and from within. Through those experiences, AJ learned several invaluable lessons and built his brand on the concept of, “it’s not about restructuring your face, but enhancing what you already have. The client is always the STAR! The makeup is the co-star!” Setting out on his own to enhance the lives of women on a broader scale, he ventured into the world of entrepreneurship and never looked back.

A decade later, AJ’s work has been featured in fashion, beauty and music magazines worldwide including Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Essence and leading Japanese Entertainment magazines Blenda and Luire. He has also had the opportunity to work alongside some of the best in the business including Pat McGrath for Paris Fashion Week and was delighted to have a hand in creating cutting edge beauty techniques under the masterful instruction and eyes of makeup impresarios Joann Gair and Mathu Anderson.

The AJ Crimson Beauty cosmetics line, like most great inventions, was born out of necessity. “I felt like there was an absolute need to bring products to women of color that actually worked and didn’t oxidize or change,” explains Crimson. “I wanted to create a product inclusive of women of all ethnicities, a product all women could find ownership in and believe in. So often, makeup has been designed with a one size fits all mentality, and with black women and women of color my cosmetic line contains shades for women of every ethnic background and skin tone.”

Co-Founder of MUSE BEAUTY

Alphonse Wiebelt

The career of make-up artist Alphonse Wiebelt is one of considerable accomplishment. His technical skill and painters eye for color, texture, and detail have firmly established his unique approach to beauty. His twenty-plus years of industry experience has allowed him to achieve widespread recognition for his contribution to the cosmetic industry — from product development, to education to brand conception.

Born in New Orleans, Alphonse’s first notion of make-up came from his mother’s precise application of 70’s liquid eyeliner. His interest in color and application quickly moved to painting on canvas. His medium transformed from canvas and oils to the face with an expressive palette of pigments.

In 1989 Alphonse was awarded top honors for his work in editorial print in New Orleans which led him to New York to work with CHANEL. Assisting the American Color Director, Guy Lento, from personal appearances to the CHANEL runway, the experience further launched his career. Soon his talent was recognized by Kevyn Aucoin, where he became part of his runway team working the shows of Donna Karen, Isaac Mizrahi, Todd Oldham and Ralph Lauren. Landing editorials in top industry publications, his work in Allure and Glamour segwayed to working with Pat McGrath, Sonia Kashuk and Diane Kendal.

The business side of beauty beckoned as he began working simultaneously with product development, education and brand development for Trish McEvoy, Prescriptives and Paula Dorf. In 2004, Alphonse was called upon to co-develop BeingTRUE Cosmetics, introducing a new level of beauty to the spa/salon professional market – acquired and re-branded for TRUE Isaac Mizrahi BEAUTY in 2014.

Alphonse’s work in the fashion and cosmetic industry to the celebrity client and everyday woman has built him a well rounded background of experience. In 2010 he co-founded MUSE BEAUTY.PRO as a resource for makeup artist & beauty mavens from advanced education to professional product. In 2012, Alphonse created a professional line of makeup brushes, esum – “tools with intention,” for MUSE BEAUTY.PRO. As Creative Director, he is currently working on the the second phase for esum, the next collection for VISEART Paris and a direct to consumer, lifestyle line of products for LA MIENNE. He is proud to have a platform that has been created to share his vast knowledge and offer a place of inspiration and exchange for make-up artists and future professionals.

Makeup Artist/Educator

Bethany Townes

Bethany’s fascination with the art of makeup began in 2006 with a small part-time job at a cosmetic counter. Never could she have imagined experiencing such an immediate connection to something as simple as applying mascara or rouging a cheek, or that it could evolve into her life’s passion and current full time career.

Quickly her part time job became her full time obsession, and after only a short time working at the counter and freelancing part time throughout city she realized there was nothing else she would rather be doing. Taking a huge leap of faith in 2010, she made the big move from her established government management career in Baltimore to pursue her new found purpose in New York City.

Maintaining the same curiosity and excitement that brought her to NYC, she is constantly motivated by the ever-changing trends and needs of the industry. By taking pointers from her time served as an Army medic, Bethany uses her professionalism, selfless service, and calming bedside manner to provide an amazing experience for every client. With a signature style of timeless beauty with touches of elegance and glamour, Bethany has become a highly sought after talent in the industry.

With the constant growth of the industry and the opportunity to share her talent at ever corner, she now has her hand in several aspects of the industry including; television, music, commercial advertisement, brand representation, runway fashion, teaching large groups or even one on one lessons, and no matter how big or small the job Bethany still says “living your dream truly doesn’t feel like work at all!”

Bethany’s attention to detail and hard work ethic also allow her to consistently work in production with companies like The Makeup Show and The Powder Group since 2007. Her latest clients consist of Viacom, Verizon Wireless, Sony Music Entertainment, Nautica Women, and Cazal Eyewear. Working with Networks like MTV, MTV2, MTVU, BET, VH1, Spike, CBS, and FOX NEWS. Her current work can also be seen on MTV2’s Guy Code, and MTV’s Girl Code.

Makeup Artist

Carl Ray

Carl Ray sets and redefines the trends in iconic American beauty as the personal makeup artist to First Lady Michelle Obama. For the past seven and a half years, Carl has been responsible for all the Michelle Obama’s official appearances both nationally and around the world. His ability to create fresh yet timeless looks makes him one of the top makeup artists working in the industry today.

Carl was born on Andrews Air Force Base and traveled around the world as part of a military family. Growing up in different cultures provided him with unique viewpoints and inspirations, which later influenced his work and continues to evolve. As a painter growing up, Carl realized his true passion was expressing his art through makeup. He traded his paint brushes for makeup brushes and now uses faces as his canvas. A self-taught artist, Carl learned and perfected his skill by applying his mother’s makeup as a young man. Throughout his career, clients continue to book Carl for his ability to enhance a woman’s natural beauty and pull out their personality through his makeup application.

His creatively lead to a wide range of assignments allowing for his talent to shine on the covers and inside pages of Vogue, Allure, Glamour, InStyle, Elle, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes & Garden, More, Ebony, Town & Country, Health, Readers Digest, Ladies Home Journal, Washingtonian, Modern Luxury, Capital File, Bride & Groom, Bride, The Knot, Martha Stuart and Engaged Magazine.

The renowned Washingtonian Magazine has voted Carl Ray top makeup artist for 18 consecutive years. He is available by appointment and offers make-up services for bridal, special events, galas, red carpet, commercial and editorial print, HDTV television, speaking engagements, and more. Carl resides in Washington, DC and is also available for domestic and international travel

Executive Director, PAAM

Chris McCarthy

Chris McCarthy is currently Executive Director of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum in Provincetown, MA. She is responsible for all artistic, administrative, fiscal and strategic directions of the largest presenter of Outer Cape art by national, regional and international artists. Programs include visual arts exhibitions, educational initiatives for children and adults, publications, lectures and performances. She taught Museum Management at the Provincetown International Art Institute in the Spring of 2002. Since 1990, Chris has worked in numerous galleries and museums in New England. They include the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT, Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, NY, and The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, MA.

Always ahead of the digital curve with great success she produced her best techniques into over a dozen how-to videos where devotees of beauty around the world could access professional artistry first hand. As a published author Danessa manifested makeup instruction with two books focused on contour, highlight and color for makeup artists.

Currently Danessa spends her time creating her brand Danessa Myricks Beauty, a global beauty blend of professional insight and wearable cosmetics available to every makeup devotee on the planet.

Director of Artistry, TPG

James Vincent

As Director of Education and Artistry for The Makeup Show, The Powder Group and the WWD Beauty Inc Award winning Ardency Inn, James is fortunate enough to work with makeup lines and makeup artists at all levels of the industry. Over the years James Vincent’s passion for the art of makeup has included nearly every genre of makeup artistry. Film and theatre, television and celebrity work, editorial and runway work and includes training and product development positions for such companies as MAC, Stila, Armani, YSL and Make Up For Ever.

James now focuses his career on working internationally in fashion, film, theater and editorial. His resume includes clients as diverse as designers Ashton Michael, Charlotte Ronson and Samantha Pleet. James work in the music industry spans genres and includes legendary musicians from Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine, and Courtney Love to Joan Jett and the Foo Fighters. In fashion and film and television James resume includes leading ladies like Liv Tyler, Reese Witherspoon and Jane Fonda and has also been privileged enough to work with Barack Obama.

Having worked with photographers including Alexander Thompson, Mike Ruiz and David Lachapelle James work has been seen on the cover of Paper and Atomic and in magazines including ID, V, Index, Wonderland, and Surface. He has been featured on numerous television shows as a beauty expert such as NBC’s The Today Show. James has also worked in television as key artist for shows including American Idol and on stage for productions including Roundabout Theatre’s “The Philanthropist.” Nylon magazine, The New York Times and WWD have named James as a “Makeup Artist to Watch”.

James is currently the Beauty Editor for On Makeup Magazine and Galore Magazine. He contributes to countless blogs and publications including his weekly series Double Dare for Refinery 29 and his weekly column for Beautylish on Building a Better Makeup Kit.

Founder/Executive Director, TPG

Michael DeVellis

As the founder of The Powder Group, On Makeup Magazine and The Makeup Show, Michael DeVellis has the inside track on what it takes to make it big in the makeup artist industry. His more than 18 years of experience working with hundreds of top artists, product lines, artist agencies, trade events, productions, and publications make him uniquely qualified to share an insider’s perspective on the career of professional makeup artistry.

He has worked on the development of programs and educated for such iconic industry beauty businesses as P&G, Kérastase Paris, Shu Uemura Art of Hair and Lancôme Paris. He also served ten years with MAC Cosmetics where he held multiple executive roles working directly with the pro makeup industry including the position of Executive Director, Artist Relations where he created and launched the MAC PRO line and retail concept. He recently held the position of Vice President of the Professional Division at MAKE UP FOR EVER where he and his team oversaw the brand’s professional development in the Americas including the development of the Backstage Card program, Pro Road Show, Pro Social and Pro Artist event programs.

His company, The Powder Group – an education and event production company based in New York City – launched in 2003 and since has produced educational programs and events in more than 20 cities around the U.S. and Canada including The American Beauty Tour, Makeup 101, Ten Words, The Artist Summmit and Evolution- featuring over 100 of the industry’s top makeup educators. Michael has also been a guest speaker at the industry’s top tradeshows including International Beauty Show NYC, Color Mundo Montreal, Pro Beauty U.K, America’s Beauty Show and The Makeup Show events in Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC.

The Powder Group’s print publication, On Makeup Magazine, launched in 2008 with Michael as the Editor/Creative Director and has become known as the industry’s most artist-driven trade publication featuring dozens of the top makeup talent from around the world.

Michael’s diverse background and unique understanding of the creative, business, interpersonal, marketing and branding skills that are essential to creating successful career as a professional makeup artist enable him to share the must-have understanding of what’s required to be a success in today’s ever-changing pro makeup artist community.

Makeup Artist/ Educator

Orlando Santiago

Makeup Artist/Visual Artist

Ryan Burke

Ryan Burke is the antithesis of ordinary. He is one-of-a-kind; a visual innovator with an artistic aesthetic that defies creative bounds.

Raised in a small town in Virginia, Ryan grew up outside the realms of fashion, makeup, and pop-culture. His talent and unique voice were innate. Having studied computer science in college, Ryan’s love for photography, makeup, and mixed media creation was spawned when he took a class on web design. After college, Ryan moved to Los Angeles where he cultivated his talent by experimenting with makeup and photography on the model that never missed a call time: himself.

Ryan’s body of work plays with expectations. He possesses the unique ability to conceptualize and execute hyper-realized looks unparalleled in the creative sphere. His portraits do not rely on conventional clothing, hair, makeup or accessories. Rather, his aesthetic employs unusual materials and makeup to create otherworldly personas. After ten years of inspiring innovation, Ryan continues to build an influential following. His diverse body of work continues to gain the attention and respect of industry leaders near and far. Recently, Ryan was named brand ambassador for legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath. His popularity continues to thrust him before a world where his art finds the audience it well deserves.

Ryan is represented by Kreative Kommune, an organic approach to artist management. Stay tuned world, this creative genius is only warming up.

Owner/Agent at Kreative Kommune

Ryan McKnight

Shaman, Seer, Vibrational Designer

Sarah Rigano

About Sarah Rigano

Form + Light founder Sarah Rigano is a spacial shaman, an intuitive curator of interiors and a healer of their inhabitants. Having spent close to a decade furthering sustainable design within the fashion and home industries, Sarah was called in 2011, to a journey of awakening. This led to her initiation in a range of ancient healing modalities including: Andean Shamanism (She is a full mesa carrier), Masters in Usui and Shamanic Reiki, Energy Medicine, Stonalism, Past Life Regression Therapy and Quantum Sound Healing. As a designer and shamanic energy practitioner (a modern day medicine woman), she holds a deep respect and appreciation for the seen and unseen worlds, recognizing the energy that exists in all, be it animate or inanimate objects, for everything has a frequency, a vibration at which it resonates that informs and inspires. The spaces in which we dwell, our individual, interior and exterior environments are of no exception. From this knowing, her philosophy of Vibrational Design™ was born; an ideology that is mindful and intent driven, a calling in and manipulation of light energy in the creation of sacred spaces and ceremonies for transformation and the realization of higher consciousness.

President/Founder of Kett Cosmetics

Sheila McKenna

President and Founder of Kett Cosmetics, is an industry veteran with over 30 years experience in makeup artistry. Her work has been seen in film, television, print, theatre and runway. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of airbrush makeup artistry and has served as the subject matter authority for several publications.

For more than a decade, Kett Cosmetics has supplied the professional makeup industry with products that challenge the unforgiving lens of the high-definition camera. By developing their products in a lab and using a hi-def camera as a microscope, Kett created a line of highly effective foundations, liquid pigments, cremes and setting powders that provide long-lasting, flawless coverage with the flexibility to create endless looks.

Distributed in over 20 countries, Kett Cosmetics has developed a cult following among professional makeup artists, celebrities and general consumers. What began in 2000 as a niche brand for professional makeup artists in the film and television industry has transformed into a crossover collection of cosmetic products and airbrush equipment.

Today, Kett Cosmetics is globally recognized and considered an essential brand for professional artists, makeup academies, film studios and television networks.

“We are committed to serving the needs of our growing market and will continue to build our loyal customer base by providing superior products that are Cruelty Free.” SheilaMcKenna, President and Founder of Kett Cosmetics.

Artist

Sutan Amrull

Raja is an artist of many tasks and talents.

Her love for style, experimentation, and all things provocative has set her apart as an entertainer in the Southern California drag circuit for 20 years. She is deeply influenced by the arts, fashion, and all pop global sub-multi-culture. Her art and performance style is meant to emphasize all things that challenge the mind, body, and soul to imagine beyond the box. She is often described as a chameleon because Raja prides herself on her constant evolution. Her looks can range from highly Avante Garde to feminine and glamorous.

One of Raja’s greatest triumphs as a drag artist is being the winner of the popular television reality competition RuPauls Drag Race (Season 3), seen on the LOGO Network. She won over a multitude of fans and followers as a result, making Raja one of the most beloved, controversial and memorable stars of the competition.

Raja is the manifestation of multi media artist Sutan Amrull, most memorable for his work as key make-up artist on America’s Next Top model. (link to Sutanamrull.net) . He is a celebrity make-up artist whose clients include some of the most iconic personalities in fashion and entertainment (Adam Lambert, Dita Von Teese, Pamela Anderson, Twiggy, Tyra Banks, and Iman). Sutan studied Art at Cal-State Fullerton University with a focus on Art direction and Illustration. His make-up career was the first stop on the journey when he left college to pursue other dreams. He worked for MAC cosmetics for 9 years before pursuing his freelance career.

Sutan created Raja in the early 1990’s as a young man experimenting with his own personal style identity and obsession with fashion and club culture. His passions were easily expressed through Raja, because she was able to embody the things he was afraid to express in everyday life. She was his way of moving beyond being “behind the scenes”.Raja’s name itself draws from Sutan’s formative upbringing in Indonesia where the word “raja” means king. He believes this to be a perfect irony.

Two personalities once separate, one created by the other, are now synonymous. Without Sutan’s inventive spirit and instinctual curiosity, Raja would not be.

Raja can be witnessed at her appearances throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Global Educating Artist

Yvonne MacInnis

With a flair for using color and texture in unconventional ways, Yvonne MacInnis is recognized within the beauty industry for her devotion to pushing the boundaries of makeup artistry, incorporating her fine art experience and fundamentals. She platforms her unique point-of-view as an artist through social and digital outlets (@yvonnetheartist) and shares her transformations using her own face as a “canvas” to share with artists and followers all over the world.

Her expertise in Educating and her experience working with celebrity clientele has helped her gain notoriety among fellow professionals and aspiring artists within the industry. Yvonne is a vetted Artist and Trainer where in addition to her freelance work, she held leadership titles with MAC Cosmetics, National Educator of Make Up For Ever and currently holds the position of the Global Educating Artist at Marc Jacobs Beauty.

For more than 15 years, she has brought her artistry to Fashion Weeks and Music Award Shows Internationally, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, fashion, photography and print both locally and abroad. Her work has been worn by luminaries including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Behati Prinsloo, Kiki Mizuhara, Blake Lively, Justin Bieber, DMX, Nelly Furtado and Taylor Hill as well as providing makeup for Lady Gaga’s ARTRAVE album release party in 2013 and working with her team again for this year’s Super Bowl in Feb 2017.

Aligning her passion of artistry and her flair for being a liaise between the Pro Community and the new artists who she references as our “future Pros”, Yvonne continues to spend her time working as a full time artist and sharing her experience and knowledge worldwide. She is currently developing an online makeup course, untitled “FUTURE PRO” where aspiring artists can access her remotely and learn what it takes to be a Professional MUA one-on-one from anywhere in the world. Stay tuned for her new website and personal re-launch in early 2018.